Maine drivers and out of state DWI charges

If you are a Maine resident and you are arrested and charged with a DUI/DWI/OUI in another state, there will be collateral consequences to your Maine driver's license. While no one but Maine can suspend your Maine driver's license, the other state can and will suspend your driving privileges. For most people, they may never go back to that state so they could care less about the out of state suspension. However, you must keep in mind that when Maine learns of an out of state conviction, they will impose their own suspension of your Maine driver's license.

Let's say you were arrested and charged with DUI in Florida. Things go terribly wrong in the case and you end up convicted for the Florida DUI. Florida will not only suspend your driving privileges in Florida but they will also end up notifying Maine of the conviction. Once Maine learns of the Florida conviction, they will impose a suspension on your driver's license that follows in line with Maine law. If it is a 1st offense OUI within 10 years, Maine will likely suspend your Maine driver's license for a period of 90 days. If it is a 2nd offense within 10 years, Maine will likely hit you with a 3 year suspension.

It doesn't end there of course. You still have to comply with the out-of-state reinstatement requirements. Invariably that means you will have to complete some kind of an alcohol education course that fulfills that state's requirements. You may have to pay reinstatement fees and most certainly fines on top of it all.

Of course the best solution to your DUI problem is to avoid a conviction at all costs. So who do you turn to when searching for the right attorney? First, you want to find an attorney who either specializes in DUI defense or who has an extensive background and training resume in DUI defense. Still, when searching online for an attorney in a strange state it can prove pretty daunting. These days everyone is marketing savvy and there is a lot of puffery out there. As a result, I have put together a list of attorneys that I feel can be of assistance when you have an out-of-state DUI problem. Keep in mind that this list is a suggestion and not a mandate. Feel free to do your own research and find another attorney. I'm not being paid or compensated by any of these folks. Heck, they probably don't even know I included them in this post. This is for your benefit and nothing more.

New Hampshire – Ryan Russman at http://www.russmanlaw.com/. Ryan is a solo practitioner and is arguably the best in the business in New Hampshire. He is Board Certified in DWI defense and is an intelligent, aggressive and zealous defender of his clients. He's also a good friend of mine and I'd recommend him in a heartbeat if a friend or family member ever found themselves in trouble with the law.

Pennsylvania – Justin McShane at http://www.themcshanefirm.com/. Justin is one of the most intelligent individuals I've come across in a long time. He is what I call a “DUI geek”. He eats, drinks and breathes DUI defense. His credentials are nearly unmatched in the DUI defense field and he will know more about how that breath testing device works and the chemistry principles behind it than the Commonwealth's own “expert” witness. He also has the distinct advantage of having a team of highly qualified lawyers who work tirelessly for their clients. Everyone on the McShane team is certified as an Intoxilyzer operator, is DRE qualified and qualified as SFST instructors. If you want a shot at beating a PA DUI, then you should call Justin.

Arizona – There is only one guy that puts fear in the hearts of prosecutors out in AZ and that's James Nesci of Nesci & St. Louis at http://www.azdefense.com/. Jim is a frequent contributor and speaker at DUI seminars across the nation and has written more than a few articles and text books about the subject during his career. In a state with arguably the most draconian DUI laws in the country, Jim is a shining light in the darkness that is AZ DUI law.

Georgia – Bubba Head at http://www.georgiacriminaldefense.com/ may be the most well known (and expensive) DUI attorney in the southeastern part of the country. He represents movie stars, athletes, musicians and wealthy individuals that can afford to pay his fees. While Bubba's legal services may prove to be a little too steep for most, his law firm as a whole is very flexible and reasonable regarding legal fees. In all likelihood there will be an attorney at his law firm that you can afford and just because it isn't Bubba representing you, don't think you're getting short changed. His firm has a top notch reputation in the criminal defense and DUI field. His partners and associate attorneys are all eminently qualified to handle your DUI issues. Whether you're facing a vanilla DUI or a DUI manslaughter charge, if the charge is out of GA, give Bubba Head and his team of attorneys a call.

Northern California – Attorney Bruce Kapsack at http://www.kandblaw.com/ has a well earned reputation as an aggressive and zealous advocate for his clients. He wrote a book on DUI defense that occupies a shelf in my own personal law library and is Board Certified in DUI defense.

Southern California – Attorney Larry Taylor at http://www.duicentral.com/ is considered by most to be the “father” of DUI defense and has written numerous books about the subject. Like Bruce Kapsack, some of Larry's books occupy a place on the shelf of my law library. Attorney Taylor literally wrote the book on DUI defense titled: “Drunk Driving Defense”, which is the first treatise I ever read on the subject. I've read that book from cover to cover at least 2 times already and am always referring to it when I have a question on the subject. Larry and his team of attorneys are arguably one of the best defense teams in the country.

Illinois – Donald Ramsell at http://dialdui.com/ is another luminary in a field occupied by great minds and talented tacticians. He is board certified in DUI defense and wrote the book on DUI defense in the state of Illinois and frequently lectures on the subject of DUI defense at seminars throughout the country. Attorney Ramsell is the person I would call if a friend or family member was hit with a DUI in Illinois.

Texas – If you've ever been in Texas, you know that everything there is BIGGER! That goes for the geography of the state as well. Because it's so large, I'm going to recommend you call any one of the following attorneys depending on where you were arrested:

Mimi Coffey at http://www.mimicoffey.com/ is a powerhouse attorney. She's probably all of 4'11″ but don't let her small stature fool you. She is a dynamo in the court room and is Board Certified in DUI defense. Mimi is also a frequent lecturer at DUI seminars and has been featured as a legal analyst on Fox News. She's out of the Fort Worth area so if you're in need of an attorney in that area, look no further than Mimi.

Gary Trichter at http://texasdwilaw.com/ is THE authority on how to pick a jury… bar none. He has lectured frequently on the topic and is recognized as one of the finest trial attorneys in the country. Gary hails from Houston, is Board Certified in DUI defense and is one of two “go to” attorneys that I would recommend from that area.

Troy McKinney at http://texascriminaldefenselawyers.com/ is another top notch criminal defense attorney who specializes in DUI defense. I would be remiss if I failed to include him in this list even though he hails from Houston, TX; the same city as Attorney Trichter. Troy is a physically imposing individual who stands at least 6'5″ and is as intellectually gifted as he is tall. He fits the stereotypical mold of “everything is bigger in Texas” and is a ferocious defender of the accused. I've learned a lot from Troy over the years at various seminars throughout the country and can state without reservation that he is one of the top attorneys in all of Texas.

Now I can't say that I know every attorney throughout the country and I probably left off dozens of qualified and talented DUI defense attorneys. Many if not most of those attorneys can be found through the National College of DUI Defense at http://ncdd.com/index.php. If you're in need of a top-notch DUI attorney in your neck of the woods, the NCDD website is a great place to start your research.

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“Bill shared each and every Pro/Con of the situation that I was facing. The entire court process was quite lengthy and stressful to my wife and I both, but at it’s conclusion Bill was able to have my OUIDISMISSSED and pled to a far more favorable charge…I would recommend Mr. Bly to anyone who is up against a seemingly insurmountable mountain to climb. Thank you Mr. Bly for securing my life and future.”- Vince

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